Saturday, October 11, 2008

Sneak Preview: Excitable Gals by Leigh Ellwood

Excitable Gals, my omnibus novella from Loose-ID, bows November 25, just in time for your Turkey Day manlovin' madness. Don't let the title fool you, there is some good manlove and menage there for your enjoyment. I'm working on final edits and the cover now, but in the meantime here's a juicy bit to savor:

"Leading Lady" from Excitable Gals by Leigh Ellwood

"This won't work."

Kray looked up from the row of winking candles arranged on the bureau. The overhead lights were dimmed, soft music wafted from the small bedside radio, and room service champagne chilled in a bucket stand by the bed. A scene for seduction was set as best as the two could arrange it.

Everything seemed workable to Kray, save for the combination of burning vanilla and lavender that stung his nostrils. He had forgotten how noxious the scents were to him, yet this was what Dina Joseph liked, according to the information they had on her. For this to work, everything had to go as planned, and that meant for Kray to control his olfactory discomfort and for Lane to not act so skeptical.

"This won't work," Lane said again.

"We'll have to suck up the odor." Kray nodded to the candles. "It's a nice night out. Maybe if we open the balcony doors it won't bother us as much."

"I don't mean the candles, Kray, I mean this whole thing. This. Us." Lane paced their hotel room, clad only in a pair of jogging shorts, tension evident in his gait. "I don't think we can pull this off. She's going to see right through us."

"She won't. She's used to meeting up with odd people at these conventions. Whatever quirks that slip past, she'll attribute to some kind of science fiction fanaticism she thinks we're harboring." Kray perched on one corner of the bed and tracked Lane's every movement. Lane was beautifully sculpted, from his strong arms to his taut, bare legs. The obvious anxiety Lane exuded overrode the discomfort from the candles' too-sweet aroma. Kray felt suddenly dizzy and wobbled.

"Lane." Kray scooted farther into the mattress and gestured the fairer man to sit between his legs. He ground his fingers into Lane's shoulders, untying the knots bunched in the other man's muscles. Lane was always a delight to touch. He felt his cock stir between them. It had been a while since they had made love, and Kray felt well the effects of withdrawal. The scent of Lane so close taunted him. It was all he could do to keep from thrashing Lane back onto the mattress and straddling his gorgeous body. Two days since Kray last felt Lane's delightful tongue teasing his erect shaft and puckered hole…two days too long.

Patience, Kray reminded himself. They had to save something for Dina.

"Dina is beautiful." Lane's voice was soft.

"So are you." He brushed a kiss into Lane's hair.

"I can only hope I'm worthy of her, and that I'll please her."

"You are, and you will. And she will love you. Everything is going to be fine," Kray assured Lane. "By morning, Dina will be crazy for us, and willing to leave this nothing of a life behind her."

"By morning, we'll be in prison after she has us arrested or committed." Lane caught Kray's hand as it slid down his shoulder. "She's a smart woman. What makes you think she'll believe us?"

"Faith, my love. She is the one for us." Kray leaned forward and kissed the bend in Lane's neck.

"How do we explain these?" Lane tapped at a pointed ear. "How do we explain they don't come off when she asks us to remove them?"

"Eccentricity." Kray let Lane guide his hand across Lane's broad chest. He rolled a toughened nipple between his thumb and forefinger, satisfied as Lane relaxed. "We're science fiction fans. We want to ravish the luscious Mayda Moran while dressed as those Narciscan characters on her old TV show." That was the agreed upon cover, the fetish excuse they planned to deliver should Dina question the ears. "I'm sure others have made similar concessions with her, some even stranger than pointed ears."

"We're not science fiction fans. We're elves," Lane said, though the edge in the voice softened significantly as Kray's hand found the soft sac between his legs and squeezed. "We're not even from this lifeline! She's not going to believe we're from an alternate reality, much less that we're not human, that I'm not, anyway. You're half-human, at least."

"I don't look it, though. Don't presume to know what's going to happen, Lane. You might be surprised with how well our plan is executed."

"She finds out these ears are real, we'll be executed when she dies of fright." Lane's voice was heavy. "They'll think we killed her."

Kray nipped at Lane's earlobe. "Such delicious ears, too. Dina will love them as much as I do. She'll be fine." Lane appeared to fight his caresses, but Kray could feel his partner continue to succumb.

"Weren't the Narciscans the villains on that show?" Lane asked. "Why would any of them want to sleep with an officer of the Jupiter?"

"We can fill in plot holes later, love." Kray pressed a finger to Lane's chin and forced him closer for a light kiss. "Tonight, we claim Dina Joseph as our own." Lane's worries were unfounded. By the time they were through with the lovely Dina, the actress would willingly take her place in the triad, and take on her new role as the queen of her husbands' hearts.

Lane was completely relaxed now, falling forward to straddle Kray's hips as the two men kissed. This was exactly what he had wanted to prevent, but it felt too nice to ignore any further. Kray's cock pressed against Lane, aching to be inside him; Lane was a sensuous, giving lover, and Kray blessed every day they were together. To have Dina finally join them would be heaven. No way would the consummate actress turn down the role of a lifetime...the role of an alternate lifeline, and a life much better than the one she currently lived.

Kray kissed Lane's throat, his collarbone, his breastbone, and continued a soft, loving trail down Lane's body. He loved the way the handsome elf tiffened with every kiss. Lane was going to love having him and Dina doing this…forever.